Friday December 30, 2011 3:35 pm

Verizon Wireless will charge you $2 to pay your bill online

Do you pay your Verizon cell phone bill online or by phone? You might want to look into other options, because starting Jan. 15, those methods of payment will include a $2 fee.

As reported by Droid Life, Verizon will impose a $2 "convenience fee" for one-time online and phone payments, starting next month. The move is intended to "balance the support costs" associated with those payment options, Verizon said in documentation posted by the blog.

Users can avoid the fees by signing up for Auto Pay, which makes automatic monthly payments via a major credit or debit card on the same day every month, or when your account reaches a specific dollar amount. With Verizon, the minimum payment is $15 and the max is $250.

Other ways to avoid the $2 fee include: using an electronic check, which will pull the funds directly from your bank account; paying online via your bank's bill pay site; going to a Verizon Store; using a Verizon gift, rebate, or friends and family referral card; or mailing a paper check.

Verizon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

According to AT&T's Web site, the provider does not charge users for one-time online payments, but users who pay by phone or go to a "payment location" might be charged an unspecified convenience fee.

Sprint does not list any payment restrictions, but members with Account Spending Limits (ASL)—or a maximum amount your account can accrue based on credit history, payment history, or fraud-related incidents—are charged a $4.99 per month fee unless they enroll in automatic bill pay.